


Thorgy Shores

by Mrs_Cormorant_Beeks



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Desert Island, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 22:35:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18508450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Cormorant_Beeks/pseuds/Mrs_Cormorant_Beeks
Summary: thorgy thor on a desert island with a coconut named bob, what more could you ask for





	Thorgy Shores

**Author's Note:**

> heavy artistic license taken with everything because I don't know anything about surviving on a desert island

Thorgy stirred from a deep sleep. He wondered why his feet were cold and his face felt warm. He did not want to wake, something in his subconscious telling him he wouldn’t like what he opened his eyes to. Instinctively a hand went to his face and felt for his glasses. They were still there, attached firmly to his head by the elastic Thorgy always used when travelling.  
Reluctantly he slowly opened his eyes. He lay still for a moment feeling the grit of sand against his cheek and looking along the shoreline. The sea lapped at his feet, startling him further into consciousness and Thorgy suddenly sprang up and sat, legs still in the waves looking out at the expanse of ocean before him.  
Memories flooded over him of a storm and panic as the ship he was on floundered and began to sink. Everyone running unprepared, trying to find a lifeboat. Slowly he slid himself up the beach away from the waves and began to check himself over, breathing a sigh of relief as he found no major injuries, just some cuts and bruises,  
“Wow, that’s a miracle”  
Thorgy looked around and noticed for the first time, there was no one else on the beach with him. Surely there would be others? Gingerly he got to his feet and began to look around. He looked left and right along the shore, but saw no sign of wreckage or any other survivors. He turned inland and still found nothing. There was sand and trees, and beyond that he could not tell. Desperately trying not to panic Thorgy began to walk along the tide line.  
Four hours later as he found himself at the point he had started Thorgy was forced to admit there was no one else with him. He was tired and thirsty and about ready to give up hope. He dropped down onto the sand drawing his knees up to his chin and rested his head there for a moment,  
“Come on Thorgy” he said to himself, “there must be something around here. There will surely be another ship passing soon!”  
He stayed where he was for a moment, his arms wrapped around his long legs, his glasses still attached to their elastic, pushed up on his head while he tried to formulate a plan.  
Eventually he stood with renewed resolve and headed inland to the trees. While gathering fallen branches Thorgy noticed several trees bore fruit, and thought that hopefully he could eat them while awaiting rescue.  
He took his wood back to the beach and laid it out, in the way remembered from watching Bear Grylls, thankful for his obsession with survival programs. He had pulled some vine whilst gathering the wood and he used it to make what he hoped would be a fire starter. It wasn’t as easy as he thought, and by the time he finally got a spark he was hot sweaty and about ready to chuck it in the sea, but as the fire took hold his mood instantly changed and he pranced triumphantly around his creation, not forgetting to carefully feed it to make sure it kept burning  
“Someone will see that for sure!” he cried.   
Thorgy reluctantly turned his back on his fire, but he was desperate for a drink so now had to go and find water. He was sure there would be water inland as the trees were lush and fruitful. He just had to find it.  
In a last minute decision he put off his search for water long enough to gather stones, shells and leftover twigs to make an arrow on the ground pointing to where he was heading. He did not want his potential rescuers to miss him!  
Thorgy ventured from the beach into the trees. Keeping his eyes on the ground for signs of a stream, he did not give up hope that he would come across another survivor or at least a native to the island. All he heard was the rustling of leaves and the occasional sound of small animals and birds, then his foot squelched and he realised he must be nearing a water source. Following the trail of wet ground as it gradually became a trickle, then a stream, Thorgy was taken aback when he looked up and saw a huge rock cliff down which the water was running in a narrow waterfall which ended in a beautiful pool that slowly ran off into the little stream. He could not have been more lucky for here was a clean fresh source of moving water. Thorgy knelt at the edge of the pool and scooped water into his cupped hands, then drank deeply. It was crisp and clean tasting, better than any bottled water he had ever had. It crossed his mind that maybe he should make a filter, but as the water was moving over tiny pebbles and tasted so good, he reckoned it wasn’t necessary,  
“Hope I don’t shit myself sorry later” he laughed quietly to himself.  
Now his thirst was dealt with, Thorgy decided to see what he could find to eat. His mind kept skirting round the issue of finding shelter as somehow that implied a more permanent stay, but his eyes were looking at trees and scouted the cliff for cave or sheltered ledge. Thorgy checked himself,   
“Food first. And check my fire!”  
He ran back towards the beach, going on instinct more than anything to not get lost. He had gone further than he imagined, and was on the verge of panic when he finally hit the beach again. Immediately he saw his fire was still burning and breathed a sigh of relief, simultaneously scanning the horizon for signs of rescue, convinced that there must be some kind of sea or air traffic by now. All he saw were clouds and waves though. He looked up and down the beach, but it was still jarringly empty.   
The elevated mood Thorgy had been in since finding his waterfall slipped from him, and once again he slumped to the ground, feeling the heat from his fire on his cheek. A tear slipped under his glasses and down his cheek. He absently fed twigs from his pile into the fire to keep while he faced the reality of at least a night on this island.  
He sat where he was for a little while watching the sea, and despite the emptiness of the ocean, the waves calmed him. It was beginning to get dark and Thorgy decided he had to accept the situation and make the best of it for the moment.  
His fire was burning well, and he pulled a branch from it to take further inland hoping to find a more sheltered spot to make camp. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay by the beach, where he could keep an eye out for rescue, but kept thinking of survival programs where people constantly complained about sandflies. He decided to head into the trees a little way. Maybe he could find one to sleep in.  
Walking through the trees as it gradually got darker Thorgy began to despair that he would find somewhere to sleep. None of the trees seemed to have branches low and wide enough for him to lie on and he had neither the time or the energy to try and build a hammock. He continued walking, following the path he had made earlier, thinking maybe he could camp by the water as at least he would be safe from creatures on two sides, protected by water and rock. Hunger was also getting the better of him and he decided to try the fruit from the last tree he had given up on for shelter. Maybe it could at least feed him! He picked the lowest hanging fruit and bit into it. It was sweet and juicy, the flesh somewhere between peach and orange. The crisp skin made the soft insides a bit surprising and he nearly spat it out, expecting it to be bad, but it was pretty good.  
“Can’t be bad for me if it tastes like it wants to be eaten”  
Thorgy theorized as continued munching on his way to the pool.  
Thorgy hunched down at its edge, and swallowing the last of the fruit began sweeping a clearing for building a campfire. As he did this his looked casually around and his eye aught sight of something that made him jump to his feet almost losing his torch. He lifted his glasses then put the over his eyes again, staring at the rock face. He wasn’t mistaken. That was a cave!  
“Please don’t let there be bears or something in it” Thorgy thought as he jogged towards it.  
As he approached the cave entrance Thorgy slowed down and held the torch ahead of him. Not wanting to shout, feeling it would probably scare him as much as anything, he shuffled his feet through the leaves and twigs on the ground, hoping that would be enough to alert any creature enough to make it move enough to alert him of its presence!   
Nothing burst out of the cave and Thorgy continued his cautious approach. The entrance was narrow, but too narrow for him. Torch first Thorgy slipped into the cave. It was dry inside and a quick look around did not reveal any skeletons, so hopefully it was not the den of some larger animal. Thorgy reckoned the narrow entrance would put off any big beasts.  
His luck continuing Thorgy found a niche in the cave wall that fit his torch perfectly. He carefully pushed it in, then stood back, hands poised to catch it if it fell. When it didn’t he walked around the inside. It was small, but there was a ledge that might just make a bed, and if not there was room on the floor. He could build a little fire near the entrance and sleep quite safely here. Thorgy was delighted. It occurred to him that already on this island relatively small things, that he would never have thought about before, had really elevated his mood. He liked the feeling.

Six months later Thorgy stood by his ever burning fire on the beach he had named Thorgy Shores. He was thinking about coffee and big gooey chocolate cookies, and trying to recapture that feeling of excitement in the little things. He scratched at the beard that was growing bushier by the day, and watched the line he had in the sea for signs of a catch. His stomach groaned at he thought of fish again, but Thorgy decided this time he would try and make a razor from the bones. The beard was driving him crazy. The empty ocean was also making him crazy and Thorgy turned his back to it. He felt better looking inland, to where his little camp was.  
Thorgy had worked hard on making his cave into a home after a couple of weeks of just waiting for rescue. He had sewn big thick leaves from one of the fruitless tress together with stripped down vine and a sharp twig, that had inspired him to start the project when he had seen the hole in it that was just like the eye of a needle. He had stuffed those leaves with shredded dried plant matter, and although it was a bit lumpy, and needed remaking every few weeks, it was comfortable enough as a mattress and he was proud of himself for designing and making it. The ledge in the cave had turned out a bit narrow for his bed so it was on the ground next to it and the ledge was used as a shelf, where Thorgy kept a coconut shell filled with water, some fruit and some dried fish. Occasionally the island was battered by terrible storms, and on those days Thorgy liked to have enough supplies handy so he could stay in shelter. Now, the worst part of the storms was getting his big beach fire lit again. He had dug a little fire pit just inside the cave entrance and kept that lit most of the time. It gave light to the cave and kept creatures out.  
The last six months had been busy for Thorgy as he found ways to keep safe dry and warm and fed. He hadn’t really had time to feel lonely, but he never forgot to keep the beach fire burning and every day he spent at least an hour watching the sea.   
He turned back to the ocean and thought about how he had never seen another boat, and only once, a plane in the distance. He still couldn’t understand how he could be so far from any other life, but he had not given up hope someone would come. For now though, his line was pulling and the practical matters of reeling in a fish and preparing it to eat took over from more romantic musings.  
“Oh for a steak” Thorgy muttered to himself as he got on with the job at hand.

Thorgy scratched a line into the wall of his cave, sat back on his haunches and regarded his calender of lines. This most recent one marked one year and one month since his arrival at Thorgy Shores. He giggled to himself pulling gently at his long beard. He had made a relatively successful attempt to scrape it off once, but it had grown back of course. Staring at the lines on the wall Thorgy tried to put the name of months and days to them, but he had got muddled about it ages ago and really had no clue. Here on his island it was always either sunny or stormy so he did not have seasons to help mark the passage of time. He giggled to himself again,  
“What shall we have for breakfast, Bob?”  
Thorgy turned to his shelf where a coconut shell stood. It had grass growing from it’s top and two sea shells pushed through holes on the front, making a pair of rather bulging eyes.  
“Fish again, Bob! You sure you don’t want a nice fry up, like we had on tour in jolly old England? You are boring! Well, I demand a fresh catch at least”  
Thorgy pulled his skinny frame to its feet and after giving Bob a playful knock set out for the beach.  
Even after all this time Thorgy’s routine of watching the seas remained the same. He couldn’t resist it when he came to the beach. After shoving some wood into his fire, Thorgy stood staring at the waves, he did not expect to see anything, but looked until his eyes watered against the sun as he always did.  
“Nothing there but those damn fishes” Thorgy sighed  
He set his line and sat beside it, waiting for the fish to bite.  
While he waited Thorgy closed his eyes and day dreamed about bacon and eggs, steak and dauphinoise potatoes. He thought about the last time he had eaten out. A big group of friends around the table laughing and talking loudly  
“H… Help me….”  
Thorgy’s eyes snapped open and he looked wildly around, immediately chastising himself for allowing his dreams to leak out of his head again. He resisted the urge to jump up and run round the beach, remembering a day he had wasted searching for a person he was convinced he had seen on the path to camp, only realising that night that he had projected the image of an old boyfriend he had been thinking about, from his head to the path. Instead he focused on his line, checking it thoroughly.   
“Is anyone there?”  
“Oh come on!” Thorgy jumped to his feet, angry at his imagination  
He looked across the fire, and almost fell over as he saw a person lying on the sand just beyond it,  
“I’m really outdoing myself this time” Thorgy whispered to himself as he cautiously approached the mirage  
He fully expected it to disappear as he got nearer, but even as his feet made contact with it the person did not disappear. Thorgy kicked the butt and expected it to disappear. Instead a groan came from the head, which remained quite solidly there.  
Thorgy crouched down and stuck his finger into the ear. The head reared up and Thorgy found himself looking directly into clear grey eyes, which rapidly moved backwards as the person shuffled away from him.  
Thorgy remained where he was was for a moment waiting for the hallucination to end, but it continued to sit where it was watching him. It was very disconcerting and Thorgy was about to decide to turn his back and leave it to disappear on it’s own when it spoke again  
“Please, can you help me? Where am I? What’s going on?”  
Thorgy did not move  
“Are you real?” he asked hesitantly  
The apparition looked terrified  
“Why would you think I wasn’t real? What is this place? There was a storm….. I don’t remember you on the boat. Where’s everyone else?”  
Thorgy leapt to his feet laughing  
“You ARE real! You are!”  
The young man looked even more frightened, struggling to his feet, and looking around as if for escape.  
Thorgy tried to calm himself. He smoothed his wild beard down, wishing he had kept up with fish bone shaving,  
“Don’t be frightened. I’m not as mad as I look” he tried to smile reassuringly.  
“My name is Thorgy. I don’t want to alarm you, but I’ve been here for more than a year. And you are the first human I’ve seen since I woke up on the beach”  
Thorgy cautiously approached the person, still more than half convinced he would disappear before he caught up with him again. He held his hand out,  
“What’s your name? Look, I promise I won’t hurt you!”  
Social training seemed to take over and the young man extended his own hand, taking Thorgy’s and shaking it firmly,  
“My name is Daniel, but people call me Milk. Are there really no other people here?”  
Thorgy had to exercise enormous self control to contain his excitement at touching another human being. He wanted to pull Milk into his arms and hold him tightly, never to let him go. Instead he plastered what he hoped was a polite smile on his face and gently released Milk’s hand,  
“Pleased to meet you, Milk. Seriously pleased! I’m sorry, but it’s true. You are my first human in a long time. But please don’t worry! I have made a good camp. I have food and fresh water. Will you come with me?”  
Milk did not lose his look of concern and fear, but he nodded his consent and allowed Thorgy to lead him away from the beach.   
Thorgy continued to force himself to stay calm and refrain from skipping up the path, pulling Milk behind him. When they arrived at the clearing, he instructed Milk to wait and ducked into his cave returning with a coconut shell which he filled with water from beneath the fall. He held it out to Milk  
“Take it. It’s clean. Has never made me ill”  
Milk drank hesitantly at first, but finished the water, handing the shell back to Thorgy with a smile  
“That was the best water I’ve ever drunk!”  
Thorgy grinned,  
“Isn’t it? Come inside and I will find you something to eat too. You’re lucky! I had to find all this for myself!”  
Milk still seemed unsure of this tall skinny man, with his mad dreaded hair and bushy beard, but he allowed himself to be led inside, carefully skirting the little fire which Thorgy now just stepped over without a thought.  
He motioned for Milk to sit on the bead and busied himself making a coconut bowl of fruit and fish. As he bought the bowl to his guest he turned Bob’s face to the wall whispering “sorry” under his breath. Time for that introduction later!  
“Here you go. It seems a funny combination, but it’s good. Has kept me going for a while” Thorgy laughed nervously  
Milk helped himself gingerly to the food  
“Oh, it’s good!” he declared “Did you preserve the fish yourself?”  
“Of course. Over my fire or in the sun. It dries out quite well. The worst part is getting the guts out”  
“You’ve really been here for over a year?”  
Thorgy nodded.  
“It was hard at first, but hasn’t been too terrible since I set up this camp”  
Milk set his bowl down and looked at Thorgy  
“Have you never tried to escape?”  
Thorgy was taken aback  
“T...There’s my, my fire. You saw it on the beach! My fire! It never goes out. So I’d be seen…...”  
Milk looked at him in a patronising way  
“I’m guessing my ship passed near here, or I wouldn’t have washed up here too. I don’t remember any alerts or anything before the storm hit. But you know, this isn’t an island? That cliff must go somewhere? You’ve never checked?”  
He stood up and paced the small cave  
“What if just round the other side is everyone else? Don’t you think it’s odd that out of a ship load of people, twice only two people ended up on this beach?”  
Thorgy felt very attacked. He had been so pleased to find another human, a companion who didn’t only speak in his head. Now this same person was trying to say that Thorgy had, what? Wanted to be trapped here? Not tried hard enough to find help?  
“I don’t know what you mean. I walked to the ends of the beach and back several times, every day for ages. There’s no way to get round the rocks, the sea is always dangerously rough there. And if there were people the other side, why do they never come here!”  
Milk laughed nervously, suddenly aware that he was alone with this strange man. Whatever the circumstances were that had put them both here, for now at least, it was definitely just the two of them. He held his hands out in a calming manner  
“Hey, I’m sorry, man. My minds all over the place. I was just shipwrecked you know”   
He laughed and after a moment Thorgy joined in  
“It does take some getting used to, that’s for sure. Isn’t it Bob?”  
Milk watched as Thorgy turned the coconut face round to join in the joke and swallowed uneasily. There better had be a way off this place, because he wasn’t at all sure about sharing it with someone who had made friends with a coconut!  
“You know what, Thorgy. I’m exhausted. There’s so much to take in, and I was swimming for my life for ages! Can I sleep for a while?”  
“Oh, sure of course! I’ve got so used to just going with the sun! I’ve got to go check my line at the beach anyway. Take the bed. It’s surprisingly comfortable. Oh and don’t mind Bob, just turn him around if he chatters too much. He’ll get the hint”  
Thorgy hurried from the cave, anxious for his guest to get the rest he needed, and strolled back towards the beach.  
He pulled the line in, expertly retrieving and gutting the large fish on the end of it, then hanging the carcass over the makeshift dryer next to fire. All this he did automatically without thinking, but once it was done he turned inland, regarding the cliff that stood over his camp. He had been here over a year. Had it really never occurred to him to attempt to climb it as he carved the passing of the months into its walls?  
“Because it would be impossible of course” Thorgy said aloud “Impossible, that’s it”  
He turned back to sea and began his ritual of staring out to the horizon, not expecting to see anything,   
“But I’m definitely looking for rescue” he muttered.

Back at the cave, Milk lay on the bed unable to sleep, even though he genuinely felt exhausted. He looked around the cave, admiring how Thorgy had adapted it. It must have been hard even thinking up how to make this bed. The little fire burning in just the right spot to protect the entrance without being in the way and the pile of twigs nearby which Milk guessed Thorgy kept permanently replenished. Sitting up he looked at the things on the shelf. The emergency rations, and a shell filled with some kind of oil, a wick bobbing in it, that he imagined made a lamp. How had Thorgy even come up with this stuff? Milk’s gaze fell on Bob, watching him with his mad grass hair and bulging eyes, and feeling slightly foolish he turned the coconut to the wall. Lying back down he closed his eyes again. Thorgy was obviously very clever. Milk hoped that didn’t mean he had tried everything to get away. Because he didn’t think he could be as accepting as Thorgy seemed to have been of his fate. He decided if sleep didn’t come soon he would go and investigate the cliff himself.  
Sleep did come, however and he didn’t wake until he heard Thorgy’s polite cough from the cave entrance. He pulled himself into a sitting position as he tried to get his bearings. It hadn’t been an awful dream then!  
“Feeling better? Here I’ve got some water fresh from the fall”  
Thorgy held a half coconut shell towards him as he stepped further into the cave. Milk took it and drank gratefully,  
“That really is the best water I’ve ever had!”  
“Everything here is good, even though it’s basic. I’ve learned to appreciate the simple things over the months I’ve been here”  
Thorgy perched next to Milk on the bed and looked seriously at him  
“I did some thinking down on the beach. You were right. I haven’t tried to climb the cliff. I believe it’s dangerous and probably impossible. I keep my fire burning and I watch the sea, but I guess I have got comfortable. I kinda like it here! But, maybe with two of us it would be less dangerous to explore the cliff. I sure would feel foolish if there’s been a whole town up there all this time”   
Thorgy laughed, casually facing Bob front as he did so. No need to forget this friend just because there was flesh and blood in the house now.  
Milk was relieved at Thorgy’s decision. He had been quite concerned he would end up either trapped or enslaved. A forced companion to the coconut Bob.  
“We have to try don’t we? So what’s the plan?” Milk was still tired, hungry and strung out, but was keen to get going  
Thorgy quickly put a damper on things  
“Whoa there! We can’t just start shimmying up the cliff face! It will be dark soon for a start. I’ll make some fish stew, we’ll eat then sleep. Tomorrow we’ll walk the cliff looking for the best way to try. But before we do we will have to get vines to make rope, and I’ll devise something to wrap our feet to make better grip”  
Thorgy busied himself adding fish and roots to the deep shell he had found made a perfect pan and positioning it over the fire. While it simmered away he went out to find something to cover the floor for a makeshift bed. There wasn’t a lot of room in the little cave, and if he and Milk couldn’t find a way up the cliff, Milk would have to find his own dwelling. Thorgy smiled to himself, realising that he had gone from overjoyed at finding another person, to feeling inconvenienced by their presence!  
“Maybe I’ll send him up the cliff and stay here” he laughed.

At first light the next day Milk was pacing outside the cave waiting for Thorgy to wake up. It was cold in those moments waiting for the sun to come up, and Milk was sure he could here the sound of animals in the undergrowth even though Thorgy had not mentioned the presence of any wildlife other than fish and birds. Milk could not believe how comfortable Thorgy seemed here, he was miserable already and couldn’t wait to escape.  
He looked into the cave again to see Thorgy still sprawled on his make shift bed. How could he still be sleeping! If the bed Milk had slept in was supposed to be comfortable, the one on the floor must have been awful, but Thorgy hadn’t stirred once while Milk had been tossing and turning!  
He stood over Thorgy and coughed loudly. At last he opened his eyes, reaching for the glasses that lay next to his head,  
“Bob? Oh Milk! Good morning! You’re already up I see”  
Milk threw him a grim look,  
“Yes. It was hard to sleep. I’m ready to check the cliff out now”  
Thorgy slowly got into a sitting position,  
“Hold on there. I have to check the beach fire, the fish lines. I need to redo the cave fire and make breakfast! I can’t just run off”  
Milk worked hard to repress his anger as he didn’t know how dangerous Thorgy might be.  
“Well, those are things you can do on your own aren’t they? I may as well take a walk along the cliff, while you’re busy. Okay?”  
Thorgy sighed. He didn’t understand why Milk was so desperate to get going. There were no deadlines here. He didn’t even have a clue what time it was! But it was important to him to keep his routine, so he resolved not to argue,  
“Sure, You have an explore while I get on with everything. Breakfast will be ready on your return”  
Milk didn’t wait, he shot off along the bottom of the cliff leaving Thorgy carefully tending the little cave fire while chatting quietly to Bob.  
After running off so quickly Milk had to force himself to walk slowly and study the cliff face. He was convinced there would be a way up, even if it wouldn’t be easy and he ignored the fact that he was thirsty and hungry, having left the cave without whatever passed for breakfast in Thorgy’s eyes.  
He was prepared for his search to take a while. He may even have to go back and look again and again until he found just the right space, so when he looked up at the point just before the cliff disappeared behind thicker jungle, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was a definite way up even his untrained eye could see. Not a path, but enough clear footholds for at least as far as he could see. The trees had also made inroads into the rocky surface, making at least the start of the climb look easy.  
Milk could not believe Thorgy had missed this. Filled with excitement he headed back to the camp.  
Thorgy was not at the camp, but he had left fruit and water on the shelf, and anticipating excuses about needing full stomachs before climbing, along with actually being in need of nourishment Milk took a moment to eat and drink before carrying on to the beach where he found Thorgy pushing logs into his fire.  
“Thorgy, you will not believe it! I think I’ve actually found a way up! I can’t see all the way of course, but I can see enough to know it can be done”  
Thorgy slowly stood up and pasted what he hoped was an encouraging look onto his face before he turned round to greet Milk  
“Really? Already? Are you sure it wasn’t wishful thinking? Lord knows I imagined rescue appearing loads of times when I was first here”  
He turned back round and finished placing his log carefully in the fire  
Milk kicked at the sand in frustration  
“Come on man. Take a look at least”  
Thorgy sighed. He still needed to check the lines and walk the beach, but he was pretty sure Milk wouldn’t let up until he was proved wrong  
“Sure” he smiled “Lead the way”

The two men stood at the base of the cliff looking up as Milk gestured towards the points he could see that would aid their climb,  
“And you see there, that ledge? We could rest there and probably get your vine rope hooked over the bit jutting out above it. That would help get to the next bit”  
Thorgy looked intently at all the points Milk directed him to, deep in thought. Was it really possible he had not seen how possible this climb could be? He could not believe it. Maybe the last storm had changed the face of the cliff. It had been a while since he had even paid it attention, beyond his little waterfall,  
“You could be right” he conceded reluctantly  
Milk was delighted,  
“So when do we start?”  
“I need to make the rope and prepare some supplies. We don’t know what we’ll find at the top. It will take a few days. Can you wait that long?”  
Milk was impatient to find a way out, but he could see the sense in what Thorgy was saying,  
“Okay, tell me how I can help”  
“Well you could go and find more vine. It grows off the trees, but you will have to go quite deep into the jungle to find the freshest ones. I can strip them easier to twist into rope. If you can get as much as you can over the next couple of days I’ll work on drying fish”  
“I’ll get right on it!”  
Milk headed into the trees, but Thorgy called him backward  
“What were you going to cut it with? Come on back to camp and I’ll find you my sharpest cutting stone”  
Once again quietly impressed at Thorgy’s resourcefulness in using what was around him, Milk followed him back.  
Even though he was anxious to hurry their plan along, Milk agreed to eat before setting off again feeling that he should make an effort to keep Thorgy on side and accepting he would need the energy.  
They sat together by the little fire eating Thorgy’s special fish and fruit stew washed down with cool fresh water,  
“How good would a cold beer be right now” laughed Milk  
Thorgy looked at him seriously,  
“I really don’t miss it. I would miss this though”   
He tipped his coconut shell of water towards Milk, who laughed uneasily unsure if Thorgy was joking or not,  
“Well I should get going if I don’t want to lose the light” he said standing up  
Thorgy joined him and rummaged in the corner of the cave, bringing out a stone with a sharpened edge and handing it to Milk  
“It’s the sharpest one I’ve made, but I don’t know how long it will last. Don’t wander too far this time. It gets dark suddenly. I’m going to the beach to make a new line. I’ll call you when I’m back. If you don’t hear me, just keep an eye on the sky. Once the sun begins to set you wont have much time to find your way back. No street lamps here to light your way!”  
“I’ll be careful” Milk called over his shoulder, already heading into the trees.   
Thorgy went over to his shelf and gathered some of the vine he had stripped right down to make lines for fishing along with some dried worms he had dug from the sand. Early on he had decided these worms were better used for bait than food,  
“You weren’t here yet Bob, but oh was I sick after trying these awful things!”  
A shadow seemed to pass over Thorgy’s face as he sighed  
“Bob. It was hard learning to live here, but it was worth it”  
The coconut’s bulging eyes watched Thorgy impassively  
“Yeah yeah, I know, don’t be ungrateful. How often did I wish for company? No offence Bob!”  
Thorgy gave his coconut friend a pat on his grassy head and set off for the beach. They would need to catch extra fish for the trip. He hoped Milk would be content to wait the time it would take to dry it!

One week later Milk strode angrily towards the beach. He had spent the morning coiling up the copious amount of vine rope he and Thorgy had stripped and woven back together. There was more than enough in Milk’s opinion, and seeing it all piled up confirmed that. He was pretty sure they wouldn’t even be able to carry it all.   
Thorgy would be at the beach, checking the drying fish, which Milk was also convinced would be more than they would need. Unless when they got to the top they would be in a wasteland, and as that’s where the waterfall came from Milk suspected that would be unlikely.  
As he had moodily picked at his fruit bowl this morning, wishing for bacon eggs and coffee, Milk had decided that Thorgy was purposefully stalling and had resolved to confront him. Milk intended to start the climb the next day, with or without Thorgy.  
Thorgy was sitting cross legged by the fire. In front of him were spread some big leaves and on these fish that had dried over the fire. He had been carefully de boning them and wrapping the flesh in more leaves. He looked up as Milk approached,  
“Hey there, how’s the rope prep going? I think we’ve got as much fish as we can carry now with this last bit. We’ll have to hope it’s enough”  
Milk was taken aback by Thorgy’s preparation. He had been expecting him to say that the fish had gone bad or something!  
“Oh good, that’s good. I was coming to tell you the same about the rope. So we’re ready to leave then?”  
Thorgy stood up and settled his glasses on his nose, looking intently at Milk,  
“Tomorrow. We’ll finish preparing tonight and leave with first light. That way we will have the whole day to make the climb”  
Milk clapped his hands, then grabbed Thorgy and hugged him,  
“Yes! Come on, let’s get back and get that prep started then!”  
Thorgy smiled slowly,  
“Lead the way”

That night as Milk slept peacefully, Thorgy sat in the low glow of the campfire looking out of the cave. Bob the coconut sat next to him and Thorgy absently stroked his head as he thought about the coming day.  
Even though he did not think he had been on the island for much more than a year, the life he had left behind seemed a distant memory. He had been happy enough with a relatively successful career, but if he was honest with himself had become tired of the constant travelling to earn the coin to pay the bills. He had few friends, and those he did have he often felt oddly disconnected from. Making life bearable on the island had been hard and there had been plenty of times when he had despaired, but he had made it and he loved it here. It was so peaceful and uncomplicated. His daily routines made the days pass quickly and he had never felt so fit on his diet of fish and fruit and exercise. But he had to admit there were times when he was lonely and had wondered whether he would ever see the bustle of a city again. It was a good thing Milk had shown up to motivate him, Thorgy thought, and who knew, maybe once they found out where they were he could come back for a holiday. Bringing Bob with him, Thorgy made his way back to his make shift bed and lay down,  
“Night Bob, here’s to new adventures” he whispered as he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come.

When Thorgy woke the next morning Milk was already outside of the cave surrounded by coiled rope and parcels of supplies which he was attempting to link together so the could be slung over a shoulder. He looked up as Thorgy came blinking into the sunlight,  
“Hey, you’re awake! I was just going to come and give you a shake. Are you ready?”  
Thorgy nodded slowly as he polished his glasses on his shirt, before placing them on his face  
“I guess we’re good to go then? You seem to have prepared everything”  
Milk jumped up eagerly and thrust a bowl of fruit at Thorgy  
“I even made breakfast for you” he grinned  
Thorgy sat cross legged by the pile of climbing gear and began slowly eating the fruit while Milk continued fussing over the final preparations with an air of impatience.   
Eventually Thorgy put down the empty coconut shell and made an effort to to match Milk’s excitement for the coming challenge,  
“Well lets get kitted up then!”  
The two men shared the equipment between them, slinging rope over their shoulders and round their waists, helping each other make sure everything was secure and that they could still move freely. Thorgy had one 2 litre plastic bottle that he had found on the beach and they filled this from the waterfall. It was the only thing they had which would carry water, but the hope was that there would be pools of rain water and maybe spring water running through the rocks they could access on the climb. Thorgy allowed Milk to take possession of the bottle and while he attached it to his climbing rig, Thorgy went back into the cave.  
He lifted Bob from the floor and returned him to his place on the shelf  
“I’m sorry Bob, but I don’t think I can bring you. It would be terrible if I dropped you. Hold the fort here, until we meet again?”  
On his way out of the cave he stamped down the little fire. He had considered putting out the beach fire, but had decided it may still prove useful. The climb might fail after all, or they could get to the top and still find no help.  
“Okay lets get on with it”  
Milk clapped his hands then patted Thorgy on the back and they set off to the start point.

The start of the climb was relatively easy and once again Thorgy wondered how he had missed this potential way out. The rock face must have changed after a storm. There was no other explanation unless he had deliberately overlooked it. And why would he have done that?  
As the sun climbed towards midday and the two men had been climbing steadily with it, the foot holds began to be further apart and the going became gradually steeper and harder. They came to a ledge they could both fit on with care and stopped for a moment. Milk untangled the bottle of water and they took restrained sips from it. Neither felt much like eating yet, but Thorgy encouraged him and Milk to take a bit of fruit for energy. It was awkward having lunch while they both stood side by side, their backs to the cliff face.   
“How are you feeling?” asked Milk  
“I’m good. I’m as fit as I’ve ever been in my life. Hands are a bit sore though. Shame I couldn’t think of a way to make gloves!” he laughed.  
Milk cautiously turned himself around and looked up. The next part did not look easy  
“I’m going to try and get some rope over that next outcrop. Hang on to me while I throw it?”  
Thorgy carefully knelt as close to the edge as he dared and curled his arms round Milk’s calves  
“Don’t take me with you if you fall”  
Milk unloosed a coil of rope and bracing himself against Thorgy’s arms, one hand pressed against the rock he threw it up trying to aim for the out crop. The rope just touched it before falling back down again.   
On the fourth try, both men running out of patience, their muscles tiring the rope hit it’s mark, curling over the elusive piece of rock. Milk quickly pulled tightly securing the loop and they both collapsed against the wall.  
“I don’t know if I’ve got the strength for the next bit now” breathed Milk  
“Well we can’t both stay here. The only way is up. Or back down.” Thorgy looked down at the trees below. They had come quite a way, but he could just make out where the river made a path to his waterfall pool and cave home., and in the distance he could see the light of his beach fire burning.   
“Nope. No way I am going back now” exclaimed Milk “There has to be help up there and I’m going to find it!”  
Looking at the light from the beach, Thorgy wondered why no one had seen it, if they were just above on the cliff, but he kept those thoughts to himself  
“Shall we then?” he pulled hard on the rope testing it’s strength, then began slowly climbing hand over hand up it until he came to another ledge. He let go of the rope and settled himself to wait for Milk to follow.  
When they were both on the ledge they took stock of the next move. There appeared to be some good foot holds between where they were and where the rope was secured, but they could not tell what was beyond it as the outcrop obscured most of the view.  
Milk was keen to continue, and the ledge they were on wasn’t much better than the previous one so Thorgy had to agree. Once again the only way was up.  
The way was not as easy going as it had looked and both men were bathed in sweat as they approached the overhang. They stopped just below it gripping onto their handholds as they caught their breath.  
“Now we just have to pull ourselves over” gasped Milk “Man, my arms are like jelly, I should have guessed it would be this tough, but boy do I need a rest!” he tried to laugh, but the strain showed on his face.  
“Can you hold on? I will pull myself over first, then I’ll help you. My arms are stronger”  
“I’ll hold on, but can we hurry?”  
Thorgy carefully reached up to the edge of the overhang with one hand, gradually stretching his arm forward until he felt secure enough to throw his other arm over with it, then leaning his weight in slowly began pulling himself up and over. There was a frightening moment when his feet kicked air and it felt as if his long legs would tip his balance the wrong way, then he was lying flat on what was thankfully a good sized ledge.  
Thorgy stood and looked up. He was only about six feet from the top and could see grass and bushes, but not much else. He stood on tip toe moving from left to right to try and get a better view and thought he saw part of a wooded structure, but couldn’t tell if it was part of a building or just fallen trees,  
“Hey Thorgy! How’s it going up there?” Milk’s desperate call came from below.  
Thorgy knelt down and quickly moved to the edge looking down into Milk’s grimacing face He lay flat and put his hand out to Milk who wasted no time in letting go of the rock and grabbing it thankfully. As Thorgy pulled, Milk threw his other hand over and together they got him to his feet on the ledge.   
As he got his balance Milk took his turn at looking towards the top of the cliff,  
“Oh my gawd, we’re nearly there. Is that a hut or something over there? Come on Thorgy, lets get up there! I don’t believe it, we’re so close!!”  
Thorgy looked at Milk,  
“We are aren’t we?”   
And without hesitation, a blank look on his face, he stepped forward and shoved both hands square onto Milk’s chest propelling him backwards. Milk barely had time to register what was happening before his feet met air and with one last puzzled look plummeted towards the bottom of the cliff. He didn’t even have time to scream.  
Thorgy sat down, his back against the rock face and rummaged some fruit wrapped in a leaf from under his rope. He sucked on it slowly, regretting the lack of water, but sure the fruit would sustain him until he climbed back down.   
“Such a shame, there’s no way up, but I least I tried. No one can say I didn’t” he whispered to himself.  
After finishing his fruit Thorgy carefully swung his legs over the outcrop and began his descent. He took his time, making sure he didn’t miss a foothold, thankful he had left the rope in place when he came to need it to lower himself to the next safe spot. After that he made good time to the bottom, thinking to himself that it always seems quicker and easier on the way back from anywhere.  
Breathing a sigh of relief as his feet met the ground, Thorgy was also met with the tangled mess that had been Milk. He broke some branches from nearby tress and covered the body carelessly before turning his back on it at heading towards his camp. It was getting dark and he wanted to be back to his cave in time to light his fire again.  
“I’ve no reason ever to come this way again anyway” he muttered to himself as he walked away.

Thorgy woke with the sun the next morning and stretched contentedly on his bed. He looked over to Bob who was watching him from the shelf above his head  
“Well, that was the strangest dream I’ve had so far wasn’t it, Bob?”  
He ignored the aches in his muscles as he began his daily routine, and when he set off for the beach avoided looking at the fresh path flattened into the grass leading away from the cave. That would soon spring up again.  
Thorgy arrived at the beach and stood watching the fire that he had kept burning for over a year. In his hands he held two empty coconut shells. He walked towards the waves and squatting down, began to work on a trough between the sea and his fire.   
It would take a while, but eventually the sea would make it’s way to the fire and put it out. Thorgy didn’t mind if he had to work hard at it. It was good to be busy here on Thorgy Shores, and it would be worth it in the end. Thorgy had found he did not need rescuing after all.


End file.
